The Master Plan Ems 2050 foresees the opening or demolition of overflow dams and levees to create typical estuary habitats. These measures shall allow the tide to flow into the land in front of the dyke, thereby creating habitats.
Overflow dams protect agricultural land from light storm tides, wind floods, and summer floods, as well as damming during ship crossovers. Levees, on the other hand, are low earth walls on the banks of bodies of water that generally don't offer any protection against flooding. Neither overflow dams nor levees are covered by the Lower Saxony Dyke Act (NDG) or have any significance for the calculation of the height of the main dykes. They are not significant for coastal protection.
Before the Steering Committee decides where such a demolition could be feasible, the Lower Saxony State Organisation for Water Management, Coast and Nature Conservation (NLWKN) will assess the seven suggestions made by the Master Plan Ems 2050:
- Bingum Levee
- Coldam Levee
- Kirchbogum
- Coldemüntje
- Tunxdorf/Vellage
- Nüttermoor
- South of Leer
